“Acute pain is shown to be noticeably reduced in children and adult sufferers once engaged in video game activity,” says Director of Operations of Pain Relief Centers Charles Friedman in an e-mailed statement. “These video games do certainly play a role in relieving some pain through both distraction and movement.”

Especially with the introduction of the Wii, Kinect and Move, video games can get people up and moving with the addition of motion-sensing controllers. Not only are the games fun, raising the player’s spirits, they’re getting some exercise. The motions used in games like Wii Fit are similar to yoga or tai chi, which have been proven to be effective therapies for removing pain. Plus, the fact that they are not as intensive as other video games that involve a higher skill level encourages people of all ages to play. No word on how to combat a sore thumbs from mashing on that controller and a numb bum from being a couch potato however.